Goddesses Enter the Palace Disguised as Women
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 315
Doha 318 · Movement 1 of 3
Keep this contemplation
Preserve, print, or share
Moon-faced, deer-eyed women wear garments of many colours and every auspicious ornament. Bangles, girdle bells, and anklets sound beneath their graceful steps while songs make cuckoos ashamed.
Among them enter Shachi, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Bhavani, and other celestial women, each hidden within a mortal form. They join the queens without announcing divinity.
Sky and city overflow with music, yet joy has dissolved the ability to distinguish goddess from woman. The disguise is more than concealment. In the wedding of Sita and Ram, divine and human femininity sing within the same company, sharing ornaments, movement, and blessing until no boundary matters enough to be recognized.
Goddess and mortal woman become indistinguishable when all voices join the same wedding song.
Read the passage from the Manas
बिधुबदनीं सब सब मृगलोचनि। सब निज तन छबि रति मदु मोचनि।। पहिरें बरन बरन बर चीरा। सकल बिभूषन सजें सरीरा।। सकल सुमंगल अंग बनाएँ। करहिं गान कलकंठि लजाएँ।। कंकन किंकिनि नूपुर बाजहिं। चालि बिलोकि काम गज लाजहिं।। बाजहिं बाजने बिबिध प्रकारा। नभ अरु नगर सुमंगलचारा।। सची सारदा रमा भवानी। जे सुरतिय सुचि सहज सयानी।। कपट नारि बर बेष बनाई। मिलीं सकल रनिवासहिं जाई।। करहिं गान कल मंगल बानीं। हरष बिबस सब काहुँ न जानी।।
All the women had moon-like faces and deer-like eyes. The beauty of each one's form could put even Rati, the goddess of love, to shame. They wore fine garments of every beautiful color. Their bodies were adorned with all manner of ornaments. They had decorated themselves with every auspicious mark. Their singing was so melodious that even the koyal (cuckoo) felt shy. Their bangles, tiny bells, and anklets chimed sweetly. Seeing their graceful gait, even Kamadeva's elephant hung its head. Instruments of many kinds played in celebration. The sky and the city overflowed with auspicious festivity. Shachi, Sarada, Rama (Lakshmi), and Bhavani, along with all the pure, wise celestial women, gathered there. These divine women fashioned beautiful mortal disguises and went to join the company of the queens. They sang sweet, auspicious songs. All were so overcome with joy that none could recognize who was who.